Chatting with an arriva driver mate I know based at macc today.
He reckons within the next 12 months or so arriva are looking to maybe ditch their operations in macclesfield.
So possible list of companies who maybe interested:
Stagecoach - Apparently ain't bothered being out of their area.
D&G Or High Peak - Either of this pair seem favourite I think to takeover.
Think gradually arriva are looking to wind down certain areas of their UK bus market such as they did with cannock & sold up.
Thoughts anyone???
Right now I think it's all a bit up in the air as a lot will depend on how much if anything cheshire east are willing to subsidise anything if at all.
The 14 Hanley-Stafford is being split into three routes - diveryed from Trentham to Longton and renumbered 24. the 100 Hanley-Stone to cover the rail replacement aspect and the 432 operated by Chaserider from Stafford to Eccleshall.
(29/03/2021 22:28)mikestone Wrote: [ -> ]The 14 Hanley-Stafford is being split into three routes - diveryed from Trentham to Longton and renumbered 24. the 100 Hanley-Stone to cover the rail replacement aspect and the 432 operated by Chaserider from Stafford to Eccleshall.
Strange that there is no word on the 50 service despite the fact the new 24 basically duplicates it entirely between Longton and Newstead.
Lots of layover as well I notice on this 24 which isn't very good. I think in Hanley, the intention may be to interwork onto the 26 but that still gives a lot of layover.
Looks like 54 broke down this morning with 31 being brought out to take it's place. The reliability figures for 53 and 54 can't be good.
Looks like the buses are getting quite a few passengers today. The 11:02 89 Knutsford to Northwich left with a passenger on most of the front facing window seats, which given the 89 is a low usage route that must be close to normal loadings.
Strangely today I noticed the driver who had 34 (small Enviro) struggled with the parked cars on one road in Knutsford but the driver who had 33 (big Enviro) got the bus past the same parked cars much more easily.
I guess the road was Boothfields? Parking along there the past couple of weeks has been terrible especially near the sharp bend. Were both vehicles travelling in the same direction squeezing between the cars? It can sometimes be easier in one direction than the other as a better line can be had
(10/04/2021 17:09)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Strangely today I noticed the driver who had 34 (small Enviro) struggled with the parked cars on one road in Knutsford but the driver who had 33 (big Enviro) got the bus past the same parked cars much more easily.
(10/04/2021 19:16)Rick Hunter Wrote: [ -> ]I guess the road was Boothfields? Parking along there the past couple of weeks has been terrible especially near the sharp bend. Were both vehicles travelling in the same direction squeezing between the cars? It can sometimes be easier in one direction than the other as a better line can be had
Yes Boothfields. There's been been numerous property improvements going on there recently so it's rare for there not to be vans or trucks parked on the road. The houses on Boothfields actually have drives and garages, it's Longridge, Shaw Drive and Manor Park North which have social housing where some people have no drives or garages.
It was actually 34 that did an early Altrincham bound service (uphill) and struggled near the Townfields junction, then 33 did the next Altrincham bound service, when there was still a van parked on the opposite side of the road to parked cars and got through quite easily. It is normally the buses going towards Altrincham where problems occur.
104 YJ13 HND has moved to Cannock from Adderley Green. That bus has previously been used on the 288 meaning it went as far north as East Didsbury. So it's covered a huge area possibly without ever being sold (I don't know if Cheshire East council ever actually owned it when it was originally acquired for the onelink services.)
Earlier in this thread someone questioned whether D&G Bus should be allowing adverts for taxi companies to be put on their buses, citing taxi companies can be competitors to bus operators.
When Knutsford Bus Station was rebuilt around 1990, a taxi office was part of the development and a company called A&P Taxis were based there, with the little booking office forming someone people could book a taxi (obviously people didn't have mobiles then) and a waiting area. That building was vacant for a number of years but recently Passenger Cars Group took it on, I've never seen them using the office but they erected a big board on the office saying if you download their app you can get £3 free credit. It seems a compliant has been made to the council and Passenger Cars Group have been told to remove it. I have no idea whether D&G are connected to that compliant but as a lot of people normally use their buses between the bus station and Longridge, £3 free credit could easily cause them to lose quite a few ticket sales.
On an unrelated point it seems at present Wincham have 3 Solos and the rest of the fleet is Enviros. If all Enviros are barred from the 130 and they need 3 vehicles for the new 130 then isn't it a bit strange that they don't have a spare Solo there?
Prior to the start of covid there was a woman based in the taxi office most days employed by passenger cars. The long Enviros can do 130s. The problem was 53 and 54 getting front end damage coming off the speed bumps in Alderley park. Those 2 for some reason seem much lower and softer on the front suspension. There are normally 2 spares at Wincham, one of which is usually a Solo. In the case of a breakdown on route it's more likely a replacement bus will come from Crewe though.
(15/04/2021 09:41)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Earlier in this thread someone questioned whether D&G Bus should be allowing adverts for taxi companies to be put on their buses, citing taxi companies can be competitors to bus operators.
When Knutsford Bus Station was rebuilt around 1990, a taxi office was part of the development and a company called A&P Taxis were based there, with the little booking office forming someone people could book a taxi (obviously people didn't have mobiles then) and a waiting area. That building was vacant for a number of years but recently Passenger Cars Group took it on, I've never seen them using the office but they erected a big board on the office saying if you download their app you can get £3 free credit. It seems a compliant has been made to the council and Passenger Cars Group have been told to remove it. I have no idea whether D&G are connected to that compliant but as a lot of people normally use their buses between the bus station and Longridge, £3 free credit could easily cause them to lose quite a few ticket sales.
On an unrelated point it seems at present Wincham have 3 Solos and the rest of the fleet is Enviros. If all Enviros are barred from the 130 and they need 3 vehicles for the new 130 then isn't it a bit strange that they don't have a spare Solo there?